Apple spent years developing its new C1 modem, but expectations were that it would trail Qualcomm’s 5G modem. However, a recent study by Ookla reveals a different story. The study compared the iPhone 16e with C1 against the standard iPhone 16 with Qualcomm’s modem on the top three US carriers.
The findings show Apple’s C1 beating Qualcomm in key areas. In situations where connectivity is a struggle, such as the 10th percentile, the C1 offered better performance. However, Qualcomm’s modem excelled in the 90th percentile, achieving faster top download speeds across AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon.
Ookla suggests that this may not be significant for users, as performance at the lowest 10th percentile is often a more accurate reflection of overall quality of experience. The median performance edge also goes to the iPhone 16e, except on T-Mobile where Qualcomm’s modem achieved faster speeds.
Interestingly, upload speeds were consistently faster for the iPhone 16e, with Apple’s C1 offering double the upload speeds of Qualcomm in some cases. These findings suggest that Apple’s efforts are paying off, and its modem is becoming a strong competitor in the market.
Source: https://9to5mac.com/2025/03/19/apples-c1-outperforms-iphone-16-with-qualcomm-in-most-benchmarks